The Objects of Her Affection

Debut-author Cobb reveals the depths of one woman’s desperation in this creative twist on the heist genre. Sophie Porter has had trouble reentering the job market since the birth of her two children, Lucy and Elliot. Instead, she and her husband, Brian, must survive on his salary as a Philadelphia Museum of Art curator. The Porters buy a historic Philadelphia row house, believing it will provide them with them safety and security, only to find themselves trapped in a bad mortgage. Since Brian’s job gives Sophie access to the museum’s mass of uncatalogued items, she decides a few thefts would likely go unnoticed, and could keep the family afloat financially. Her desperate measures, however, soon becomes a compulsion. Cobb’s real-life knowledge of the museum acquisition process—she’s married to a curator—imbues this sizzling tale of suspense and moral dilemmas with a heightened sense of realism. Agent: Adam Schear, DeFiore and Company. (Aug.)